News

MAS to add more online services

22 Jun 2010

Five iPad kiosks, introduced recently by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in its ticketing offices at the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transport hub, are the earliest signs of the airline’s MYR450 million (US$135,910 million) five-year programme to boost customer service and standards.

The programme involves a revamp of the airline's IT infrastructure, particularly its customer-facing applications to improve on-the-ground  service. The iPad kiosks give MAS passengers an alternative means of booking and paying for their tickets. The devices, which will appear in more MAS centres, can also be used for flight check-in.

Tengku Dato Azmil Zahruddin, MAS managing director and CEO, added they would also install 12 more self check-in kiosks (in addition to those already at the KL International Airport) in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu airports.

Meanwhile, he said that the airline's enhanced call centres would soon open up “more channels for customers to interact with our call centre representatives”, citing options such as email, webchat and sms and an IVR channel to strengthen security of credit card transactions. Enhancements are expected to be available by the first quarter of 2011.

Since improving its revenue profile in 2007 – after reporting MYR1.2 billion (US$362 million) in losses in 2005 due to fuel and high operating costs – MAS has set itself on the path of revival and renewal.

It looks forward this year to taking delivery of three new Boeing B737-300s, featuring 16 Business class and 144 Economy class seats with wider seat pitch and an IFE that supports e-shopping, 3D games and USB media player among others. A MAS spokesperson said ’ fleet orders, from now until 2015, include up to 55 Boeing B738-800s, 25 A330s and six A380s. As reported earlier in news, however, its first superjumbo will now arrive in early 2012 and not August 2011. Total price tag of the acquisitions amount to US$12 billion.

MAS' network has also been beefed up with frequency increases to points such as Paris, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh, Kota Kinabalu among others, while Bandung in Indonesia has been added to the station list from July 1 (news).

Until June 27, the airline is running Everyday Value Fares (EVF) for travel between July 21, 2010 and January 31, 2011 with rates between Kuala Lumpur and Bandung at MYR182 (US$54.96), Hongkong at MYR439 (US$132.58), Saigon at MYR229 (US$69) and Taipei at MYR509 (US$153.73) among others.

For more on MAS, visit www.malaysiaairlines.com

Margie T Logarta

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